Posts Tagged ‘Windham Familia’
The thing is, I’m kinda a brat
Posted on: June 4, 2010
- In: Life
- 7 Comments
I’ll be real honest, I can be a brat. I won’t sugar coat it for ya – some days I’m down right selfish and rude. I like my way on my time at my say. It ain’t pretty and it sure ain’t godly. Part of me wonders if I don’t look a little like this:
Jonathan is leaving Monday for a business trip to Chicago and won’t be back until Thursday night. Over lunch yesterday, I was giving him a hard time about being gone {especially since we’ll miss our normal date night}. Even though I could tell it was annoying him, I kept on going, kept on being bratty. Finally Jon just said “Aren’t you happy that I provide for you?” Say what? This business trip is for me? All your hard work and effort is so I can stay at home? Yes, yes it is.
The thing is, I’m kinda a brat. And while I was pouting about a business trip that my husband is taking, I failed to realize he is taking it for me. He is going to ensure that I can continuing staying at home with our daughters. He is going to ensure that we have a roof over our heads and live comfortable lives. He is going to ensure that he holds true to his words – that he will protect, provide and care for me and our family. He is going because, well, he’s just plain awesome at his job and his boss wants him to go. How can I pout about that? How can I be upset about having such a great man?
By the end of our conversation I was struck with this verse: “It’s better to live alone in the desert than with a quarrelsome, complaining wife. {Proverbs 21:19}”. I apologized to Jon and before lunch was finished the air was cleared. I walked away with this one thing in mind: “The man who finds a wife finds a treasure, and he receives favor from the Lord.” {Proverbs 18:22}.
I want to be the kind of wife that my husband treasures. One that lifts him up and allows him to do what God has called him to. One that is supportive and kind. One that speaks with love and humility. And I am grateful that I have a man like Jon, who is always understanding, continually pointing me towards truth. Thanks for all you hard work babe. I love you.
- In: Life
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12 month photo project is a challenge started by Tara Whitney. Here’s what you do:
- Take a photo of your family once a month.
- Write a few things about that month.
- Make it into a book at the end of the year.
Is May ending already?!? That can’t be. Because if that’s the case, that means 1) Hannah turns 1 in two weeks 2) Jonathan is done with his crazy weekend MBA course 3) Julia had her tonsils removed and 4) I’m just standing here wondering “what just happened??!”.
Whew. Does time ever slow down? May has been a whirlwind of a month. Julia had an amazingly quick recovery from her tonsillectomy. The following weekend was Mother’s Day, so it was an extra bonus to have her feel so well. My Mother’s Day was really, really nice. Very relaxing and I felt extremely loved {the dozen roses Jonathan gave me did the trick}. Plus, the night before Mother’s Day, our dear friends, Matt and Kristen, gotten engaged. While we weren’t there for the proposal, we did get to spend time with them right before and after. It was a sweet time and we’re thrilled for them both!
As of today, Hannah took her first steps! She doesn’t go far {just 3 or so steps} but she’s “walked” several times between Jon and me. It’s a bittersweet moment in this mama’s life.
Jonathan’s career path has really been in flux this last month. He has been deciding whether to finish his PhD or to focus more primarily on his MBA. After getting some strong council, he’s putting his MBA classes on hold until he has finished the PhD program. Our family is now shifting our schedules to allow him more time to work on his research during the evenings. It’s going to be challenging having him gone more, but we’ve decided to do it in 4-6 week groups so that no one gets burned out. Hopefully the end will be here before we know it!
We spent Memorial Day weekend in Chicago. It was a blast! Despite the Windhamettes having such little sleep, they did really well the whole trip {although there might have been one too many suckers consumed to ensure obedience}. We spent a lot of time at festivals and in Millenium Park. It was great being away from normal life for a while, but Jon and I agreed, as much as we love big cities, we really love our little city life.
*Yes, I am totally wearing the same jeans as I did for last month’s family photo. Just realized that…
{Be sure to check out my flower hair clip giveaway!}
We’re staying in the more Spanish district of Chicago this weekend. Can I just say, I have a great love of Mexican/Spanish/Latino foods?? I think I could eat it every single day. And when it’s homemade and good, it’s good. And you can’t beat good Mexican. You just can’t. Even better than the food are the desserts. I love a tasty, warm ensaimada {sweet bread} with coffee. Hmm…
Hopefully, as you’re reading this, I’m feasting out to this with my daily joe:
Chicago, Chicago!
Posted on: May 29, 2010
- In: Life
- 5 Comments
{Be sure to check out my flower hair clip giveaway!}
I have a love of big cities. Thankfully, so does Jonathan. And from what we can tell, both girls seem to be pretty impressed with them too. So this weekend we are going to Chicago.
Here’s a list of great things to do in Chicago with kids:
1. Lincoln Park Zoo
It’s free and open to the public. It’s in the middle of the city {well, technically it’s not in the middle, but you’d think it was} with several entrances and exits, making it perfect for just popping in and out whenever you need. They do some pretty incredible water shows with their seals and their mammal habitat allows you to get amazing up close views of leopards, tigers, etc.
2. Chicago’s Children Museum
While a little on the pricy side {$10 per person over age 1}, it’s suppose to be one of the best museums to visit. There are 3 stories of fun to be had and it’s located off Navy Pier. The downside? It’s 3 stories of fun, meaning, you’re not going to be able to see it all in one visit. Our family is still debating if the girls are too young to really enjoy themselves this go around.
3. Navy Pier
While our girls are too small for the ferris wheel, it’s perfect for older kids. But, with all the candy shops, fast pace atmosphere and sites to see, it’s bound to be a hit for our people-watching kids!
4. Shedd Aquarium
We took Julia when we came to Chicago in November 2008. However, she was a little on the young side at the time but I think she’s going to love all the “fishies” this time around. The Shedd has thousands of displays of beautiful sea creatures, ranging from otters and whales to octopus and dolphins. It makes for great and fun learning experience.
5. Millenium Park
Millenium Park is more than just a park. They host concerts, festivals, free workouts and beautiful scenery, among other things. You could easily spend half a day musing around exploring the Cloud Gate, the Crown Fountain, and the Lurie Garden. It’s a great place and perhaps the site I’m most excited to visit.
The post you’ve all be waiting for…
Posted on: May 24, 2010
- In: Life
- 7 Comments
My house is clean!!
I hosted a baby shower on Saturday morning, so Jon and I spent Friday night {and Saturday morning!} finishing up painting and cleaning the kitchen. Jon actually finished painting at 8:30 am and the shower started at 9:30!
Here’s the end results of our remodel and the new wall Jonathan finished:
And for your my pleasure, here’s Hannah – who just had to have her picture taken.
If you’ve ever wondered what an 11 month old looks like while eating frosting
Posted on: May 20, 2010
- In: Life
- 3 Comments
This would be your answer:
- In: Life
- 2 Comments
Our kitchen has gone from this:
To this:
The pictures make it look easy. It started off that way, but things have gotten a little hairy. We hired a contractor to remove two studs and the header and to finish off our sheetrock. He agreed, then the morning he showed up, he said he’d changed his mind and would not be finishing the job (only removing the studs and header). Nice.
Thankfully, he did build this:
Which now houses our heating vent (goes through the roof).
Now Jonathan, being the awesomely talented guy he is, is finishing up the sheetrock, mudding and electrical.
Unless you read about the beginning of our project, then you might not know about my love of wallpaper. And by love, I mean total hatred strong dislike. But, alas, the wallpaper is down and painting has begun!! *A shout out of thanks to Rachel for watching Mabel!*
And for a “green” tip – hang on to your plastic containers (yogurt, salsa, etc) cause you never know what you can use them for later:
I promise one day I’ll actually post pictures of our house when it’s clean. It might not be until the girls are in college, but hey.
Julia Mabel the Tonsil-less Champ
Posted on: May 10, 2010
- In: Life
- 2 Comments
We are five days out from surgery and Julia is rockin’. The first two days we got home, she was really tired and slept a lot. By Saturday, she was back to her normal self, with the exception of the types of food she’s allowed. While we’re still restricting food to softer items (no pretzels, granola, etc) everything else seems to be back on track.
Leading up to surgery, Julia did amazingly well. She was never scared and seemed to actually be enjoying herself in the preparation rooms. Here are a few pictures:
Waiting for the nurses. Told you she was pretty excited.
We had to wipe Mabel down with sanitary wipes before putting her in scrubs.
I got into scrubs, cap and mask so I could take Mabel back to surgery. The entire time I was getting dressed, Hannah kept staring wide-eyed at me. I just knew she was about to freak out. But once I was fully decked out Hannah started laughing hysterically. Apparently I must look funny in scrubs.
One last thing I’ll say: dealing with your child post surgery is kinda like coming back from vacation. For the first few days after Mabel’s surgery, we “overlooked” certain issues since she didn’t feel very well (sorta like you might do on a vacation with extended family). But now, well now it’s like coming back from a long vacation without much structure. Let’s just say, yesterday and today have revolved around reinforcing our house rules. Whew, I think this surgery was harder on us than her! 🙂
- In: Life
- 9 Comments
At least that’s what this photo makes me think:
I’m not sure how clearly you can see the picture, but I’ve drawn arrows to point out Mabel’s tonsils for you. Apparently, every tonsil-less girl gets sent home with this picture – a keepsake for all times. Disney princesses to serve up and deliver your tonsils.
I’m sorry, but this picture kinda freaks me out. I mean, really, a princess holding tonsils? It’s a little weird. But hilarious at the same time. And after all, of all the Disney princesses, Cinderella was a pretty good choice.
Mabel’s surgery went really well. She did great leading up to the surgery – was very calm and not even scared going into the OR. I was able to take her back to the operating room and held her while they put her under anesthesia. After she came to, she was pretty groggy and out of it for several hours. I spent the day with her, while Jonathan took Hannah back home for naps. By about 4pm on Wednesday, Julia’s anesthesia and morphine were wearing off and she was getting pretty grouchy and restless. After dinner, I took Hannah home, but then went back to the hospital to help Jonathan console Mabel (who was getting pretty hysterical about having to stay the night). Once I left, Jonathan said she was up off and on all night. By 7am on Thursday I was back at the hospital to take Mabel home. When I got there, she was crying and refusing to take her medicine despite being in a lot of pain. But once we left, her mood completely changed. All day Thursday (and so far today) she’s been a little deflated and seems like she feels kinda yucky, but her attitude is amazing (given how she feels). She’s been in pretty high spirits and was requesting to go for walks and bike rides. We might just survive our toddler post-operation week!
A Wife Loved Like The Church 
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